Mitt Romney’s 5-point plan is the same as McCain's plan in 2008

If Mitt Romney's 5-point plan for fixing the current economy crisis looks familiar to you that's because it recycles — nearly word for word — from the same playbook as John McCain in 2008 and George W. Bush in 2004.

Mitt Romney on the ropes after President Obama accused his opponent of being untruthful at the second presidential debate at Hofstra University.

Screenshot via Twitter

In his campaign for president, Bush made it his goal to lower taxes for every American citizen. By the time he left office, that promise was half-fulfilled. Bush tax policies did more to line the pockets of wealthy Americans instead of lower to middle class families in the United States.

During this election season, voters have voiced their concern about returning to such policies.

Addressing Romney during the second presidential debate, undecided voter Susan Katz said, "I'm disappointed with the lack of progress I've seen in the last four years. However, I do attribute much of America's economic and international problems to the failings and missteps of the Bush administration."

Since both you and President Bush are Republicans, I fear a return to the policies of those years should you win this election. What is the biggest difference between you and George W. Bush, and how do you differentiate yourself from George W. Bush?

"The — President Bush and I are different people," Romney answered, "and these are different times. And that's why my five-point plan is so different than what he would have done."

What is Romney's five-point plan?

According to the campaign site, Mitt Romney’s Plan for a Stronger Middle Class is a five-part proposal for turning around the economy and delivering more jobs and more take-home pay for American families.

[1] Part one of Mitt’s plan is to achieve energy independence on this continent by 2020. America is blessed with extraordinary natural resources, and developing them will create millions of good jobs – not only in the energy industry, but also in industries like manufacturing that will benefit from more energy at lower prices. America’s economy will boom when the billions of dollars we send overseas for our oil are kept here at home instead.

[2] Part two of the plan is trade that works for America. Mitt believes that trade can offer enormous opportunities for American businesses and workers, but only if they are given a level playing field on which they can compete and win.

[3] Part three is to provide Americans with the skills to succeed through better public schools, better access to higher education, and better retraining programs that help to match unemployed workers with real-world job opportunities.

[4] Part four is to cut the deficit, reducing the size of government and getting the national debt under control so that America remains a place where businesses want to open up shop and hire.

[5]Finally, part five of Mitt’s plan is to champion small business. Small businesses are the engine of job creation in this country, but they will struggle to succeed if taxes and regulations are too burdensome or if a government in Washington does its best to stifle them. Mitt will pursue comprehensive tax reform that lowers tax rates for all Americans.

"My priority is jobs. I know how to make that happen. And President Bush had a very different path for a very different time," Romney concluded.

But when Mike Konczal at Next New Deal's Roosevelt Institute looked over Romney's plan in detail, Konczal found something interesting: Romney's plan is the same plan that John McCain proposed in 2008, and George W. Bush proposed before him.

Create more jobs in America: 2008

Senator John McCain

Wikimedia

With unemployment at 6.1 percent, what were McCain's recommendations for the economy in in 2008?

The McCain economic plan for his 2008 campaign states: John McCain has a comprehensive economic plan that will create millions of good American jobs, ensure our nation's energy security, get the government's budget and spending practices in order, and bring relief to American consumers.

[1] John McCain will lead America to strategic energy independence. We'll produce more energy at home.

[2] Lower Barriers to Trade. I will open new markets to our goods and services. To do so, the U.S. should engage in multilateral, regional and bilateral efforts to reduce barriers to trade, level the global playing field and build effective enforcement of global trading rules.

[3] Competitive American Workers. We must prepare the next generation of workers by making American education worthy of the promise we make to our children and ourselves. We must be a nation committed to competitiveness and opportunity. We must fight for the ability of all students to have access to any school of demonstrated excellence. We must place parents and children at the center of the education process, empowering parents by greatly expanding the ability of parents to choose among schools for their children.

[4] Eliminating Wasteful Spending. Reducing government spending and getting rid of failed programs will bring the budget to balance, reduce federal borrowing, and control spending to

reduce the burden on the economy.

[5] Small businesses create the majority of all jobs in America. Small businesses are the job engine of America, and John McCain will make it easier for them to grow and create more jobs. We all know that keeping taxes low helps small businesses grow and create new jobs.

It's the same exact agenda. Specifically, the Romney agenda for job creation in 2012 is same plan that John McCain wanted to do in 2008 if elected.

Create more jobs in America: 2004

Former President George Bush.

White House

On September 2nd, 2004, George W. Bush delivered his acceptance speech at the Republican convention to run for a second term as President of the United States. "Unemployment was 5.4 percent. A major housing bubble is kicking into high gear, and the country is debating the aftermath of the invasion of Iraq and the future of the War on Terror. What were some priorities for a second George W. Bush term in creating jobs?"

"My plan begins with providing the security and opportunity of a growing economy. We now compete in a global market that provides new buyers for our goods, but new competition for our workers. To create more jobs in America, America must be the best place in the world to do business," Bush said.

[1] To create jobs, my plan will encourage investment and expansion by restraining federal spending, reducing regulation and making the tax relief permanent.

[2] To create jobs, we will make our country less dependent on foreign sources of energy.

[3] To create jobs, we will expand trade and level the playing field to sell American goods and services across the globe.

[4] And we must protect small-business owners and workers from the explosion of frivolous lawsuits that threaten jobs across our country. Another drag on our economy is the current tax code, which is a complicated mess…

[5] In this time of change, most new jobs are filled by people with at least two years of college, yet only about one in four students gets there. In our high schools, we will fund early intervention programs to help students at risk. We will place a new focus on math and science.

Voters rejected a rehash of the Bush ideas in 2008, and Mitt Romney is back trying to sell the same plan in a different order in 2012, politicususareported. In reality, voters are voting for Bush’s economic ideas, not Romney’s.